Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek are urging Europe to embrace open-source artificial intelligence (AI) to stay competitive in the global tech industry.
In a joint message on Meta’s platform, the two tech leaders argue that open-source Al can drive innovation and economic growth across the continent.
Zuckerberg and Ek believe that open-source AI can help more people and companies access advanced technology, leveling the playing field for smaller businesses and startups.
They also pointed out that most of the internet today runs on open-source tools, and applying this approach to AI could unlock similar benefits for Europe. With a large number of open-source developers in the region, they see Europe as being well-positioned to lead in this space.
However, they caution that Europe’s complicated regulatory environment is a significant barrier. According to the CEOs, inconsistent and overlapping rules across different European countries make it difficult for businesses to innovate and scale their AI solutions.
They noted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as an example of how complex rules can slow down progress, especially for companies like Meta that rely on publicly available data for AI development.
To address these issues, Zuckerberg and Ek are calling for more straightforward and unified regulations across Europe. They argue that clearer and more consistent rules would help European companies fully harness the potential of open-source AI.
Without these changes, they warn that Europe risks falling behind regions with more streamlined regulations.